1 week ago
Thurs Jan 29, 2026 2:59pm PST
Ask HN: Why not make English computational, just like LaTeX, to ensure lock-in?
Imagine a version of English extended so that anyone writing for precision—scientists, lawyers, engineers, or anyone documenting complex ideas—uses sentences that embed non-trivial computations. Understanding such text would not just require reading; it would require executing algorithms embedded in the language itself.

Just like LaTeX allows you to write documents precisely and reproducibly, this computational English would make automatic machine translation extremely difficult. Even a small snippet of computation could drastically change the meaning if it is misinterpreted. Over time, anyone who values precision might stick to English by default, creating a global lock-in for formal communication.

Casual conversation could still happen in any language, but for technical writing, legal documents, instructions, or rigorous journalism, computational English could become the universal standard. Its adoption would depend on its ability to guarantee exact meaning rather than ease of learning.

Would this lock-in ensure that English will be the universal language of the world forever, just like LaTeX for scientists?

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